Colombia’s Calling, and BoB is On the Line!

I’m a radio addict. I love listening to a quality radio show while getting ready for the day or doing some chores around the house. And nowadays you don’t even need a radio to listen to the radio! Case in point: Colombia Calling with Richard McColl, which airs on OverSeasRadio.com. Whether you’re thinking of making the leap or are just interested in an on-the-ground take, the OverSeas Radio Network and Colombia Calling are for you.

I was a guest on Colombia Calling on July 15, 2013, and now the show’s available for free in both the OverSeas Radio Network “Colombia Calling” Archive (just scroll down to “Barranquilla or Bust”) and on iTunes (download the podcast to hear the whole show). Here’s hoping you’ll add to your Friday fun by listening.

BoB (Barranquilla or Bust, people, not B.o.B the hip-hop artist or B.O.B the song from OutKast – BoB can only dream of being as cool as that) thanks you sincerely for reading and following this blog. It would be nothing without you. Literally. Yes, you are that powerful. Wishing you a fantastic weekend,

Courtenay

P.S. For short, fun tidbits from expat adventure land, why don’t you like BoB on Facebook? BoB will love you for it.

5 responses to “Colombia’s Calling, and BoB is On the Line!”

Love the interview and yes El Norte is a very good place to be in general Guns everywhere?? Guns are there, just read the daily Al Dia ( called Mal Dia by the gente). But I do not know why he is a bit guns obsessed and I have been to Soledad, Downtown Killa and South Killa.

I have been to Barquisimento, Venezueal. I will never return. I saw rifles by Palestinian terrorists there to spy on the people for the benefit of the dead Hugo Chavez. Venezuela is a country in conflict and is dangerous. Richard should try living there!

Yes security guards are everywhere in Killa. No problem with that.

I have been to Killa 12 times. I have walked the streets at night, I have heard gun shots but I have never seen guns on the street except one incident where I was leaving a restaurant as the gunmen were moving in, near Parque Venezuela. So yes, Colombia is not the safest place but in the future the West will become less safe as the financial situations become perilous despite what say the muppets on TV.

Spied upon? in Killa? again in all due respect, I have no clue where Richard is going with this. As for spying, in Canada, where Richard comes from, there are cameras everywhere in the malls, commercial buildings and there are cops on every street measuring your velocity and ready to pounce with tickets to finance their salaries and pensions.

And I will tell Richard that although we do not have many guns here, we have knives.

As far as having guns for protection against the FARC, I would agree with that. FARC is ruthless and if the UN was a real organization, the FARC would never exist.

One reason why the FARC exists is to ensure the cultivation and distribution of cocaine (big revenue for them) that ultimately is enjoyed by Europeans and North Americans. Perhaps we should have a serious discussion on that.

Second reason that the FARC exists is that investors were not willing to invest in Colombia due, in large part to lazy journalists from the US, Canada and the UK, focused on the “conflict” and not on the good things: the fresh food, the wondrous fruits, the beaches, Juan Valdez, the beer, the rum, easy access to ATMs ( unlike in Venezuela),, etc.

If you enjoy quality radio you should listen to ‘Conversations with Richard Fidler’. He is a broadcaster on Australian government network ABC. Podcast can be found on itunes. Critically acclaimed as the best long form interviewer in the world.
Recently found your blog and interetsed as I moved to BAQ with my wife and son from Australia in April, although I spend the week working in SM. Enjoy.

Thanks for the tip! I will definitely check out that podcast… I really do love great radio. How are you liking BAQ so far? We have met more than one Australian here. Hope you all are settled in and feeling at home.

All of the guidebooks advise that Barranquilla be give a wide berth, except at Carnival. This is why Barranquilla becomes a more desirable expat existence. To find other non Colombians requires knowing an Expat community or a stroke of coincidence. For us coming to Colombia was to become Colombian and not be a extension of a culture and comfortable existence elsewhere.

Having said that, as you have eloquently described, living in BAQ is not without significant challenge. We are lucky that we have had company support and the support of the local people in that company, as well as a tight small expat community. To come to Colombia with no Spanish and no local point of reference would be almost an impossible task. The bureaucracy is often mindbogglingly illogical at best.

Our son goes to a local, but ‘well to do’ school and enjoys it as much as his school in Australia. It is mostly taught in English but expats number only about a dozen out of 600, so it is a genuinely local if privileged experience.

Sorry to hear of your experience at Electricaribe Park. My wife and I exercise there sometimes. We have not experienced any security concerns ourselves in Colombia, but have some protection which maybe helps.

One day I will get sufficiently motivated (or time) to jot down some of our tips and experiences living in BAQ and Santa Marta, but in the meantime will leech on your superior blog.

Thank you so much for your thoughtful comment, Darren. I totally get what you are saying about wanting an authentic experience. I agree with you that being able to access a genuinely local life is one of the advantages of living in Barranquilla. I also agree with the challenges of navigating the bureaucracy. Without the family that we have here, and without the help of a couple of friends that we made quickly, I don’t know how we would have run the gauntlet of getting our life “transferred” to here.

If you’d ever like to write up your tips and experiences as a guest post for this blog, I would love that! I receive email inquiries on occasion from people who are considering moving to Santa Marta, but my insights for that locale are very limited. In any case, should you need a forum for your thoughts with regard to both BAQ and Santa Marta, you have one on this blog anytime. Just let me know! – Courtenay